IBC stretch?

[harringtondav]

Here is my question. When wiring a lighting only circuit downstream from 20 amp circuit protection is it safe (not a question about compliance) to use 14 ga/15 amp wire for the switch pigtails?

Here's the back story. The original owner of our river house wired the whole place with 12 gage wire, protected with 20 amp breakers. I'm insulating and finishing a lower level family room. I've stayed with 12/3 for the outlets so I can wire the top half of the outlets to be switched for table and floor lamps. Also I ran a 12/2 cable for lower deck lighting.

The box shown below is already busy. If I follow code I have to pigtail each switch into the feeds with 12 ga. This will be a fight, if not impossible. So my choices are to forget the pigtails, or use 14 ga pigtails on the lighting circuits.

So, what would you do Forgo the pigtails, or use 14 ga pigtails?

 

[bigdee]

If you use 14gage as a switch leg to a receptacle you will have to change the branch circuit breaker to 15 amps....no exceptions to this rule. The receptacle is not a fixed load meaning it is possible that a load of greater than 15 amps could be plugged into it.You could change out that ganged wall box to a larger one that has more volume.

 

[foodfisher]

Potential fire. Breaker protects the wire. 20 amp requires minimum 12 ga.